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A  bill  to  be  en 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #50 


[House  Bill,  No.    .] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES.— January  30,  1863.— Read 
first  and  second  times  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 

[By  Mr.  IIolcomb,  from  Committee  on  Judiciary.] 


A^  BILL 

To  be  entitled  an  actio  authorise  and  regulate  impressment  of  private 
property,  for  the  use  of  the   army  and  other  military  purposes. 

1  Section  1.   The  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America  do 

2  enact :    Any   ofiicer   of  the    Confederate  States,  commanding   a 

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3  military  district  or  department,   may  authorize  the   impressment 

4  of  property  for  the  use  of  the   army  or   other   military  purpose, 

5  by  order  in  writing,  -vrhenever  he  is  satisfied   that  the  same  can- 

6  not  ^  procured  in  due  time,  except  by  impressment. 

1  Sec.  2.  AVhere  slaves  are  required   to  labor   on  fortifications 

2  or  other  public  works,  the  impressment  shall   be  made  in  accord- 

3  ance  with  the  law  of  the  State  where  .they  arc  employed;  in  the 

4  absence  of  such  law,  in  accordance  with    rules    and   regulations 

5  not  inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  to  be  prescribed 

6  from  time  to  time  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 


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1  Sec.  3  In  no   instance  shall   nuy  individual  be    deprived,  by 

2  irapressment,  of  the  amount  of  provisions  required   for  the  com- 

3  fortable  support  of  his  family,  nor  except    under   circumstances 

4  of    extreme  urgenc}'',  to  be  declared  in  the  order  of  the    com- 

0  nianding  general,  shall  any  individual  be    deprived  of  the  grain, 

6  forage,  slaves   or  other   property  necessary  for   the  use    of    his     • 

7  plantation. 

1  Sec.  4.  In  all  cases  of  imprc'ssmont,  just   compensation  shall 

2  be  made  for  the  property  seized,  ^vhether  the  absolut9  ownership, 

3  or  the  temporary  use  or  hire  only  thereof  is  demanded.     If  the 

4  owner  and  the  impressing  ofnccr  cannot  agree  upon  the  amount  of 

5  such  compensation,  if  shall  be  ascertained  and  determined  by  the 

6  judgment  of  three   loyal   and   disinterested   free-holders    of  the 

7  city,  county  or  parish  in  which  the  impressment  is  made — one  to 

8  be  selected  by  tho  owner,  one  by  the   impressing   officer,  and  the 

9  third  to  be  chosen  by  these   two.     The   persons   thus   selected, 

10  after  taking  an  oath  to  appraise  «the   property   impresse*   fairly 

11  and  impartially,  which  oath  the   impressing  officer  is   authorized 

12  to  administer,  shall  proceed  to  assess  the  full   value    of  the  pro- 

13  perty  seized,  as  well  as  the  amount   of  compensation  for  its  tem- 

14  porary  use  or  hire,  where   that  only  is   required:  and   also   to 

15  determine  upon  the  application  of  the   impressing   officer,  which 


IG  application  is  to  be  made  onlj  in  extreme  cases,  what  amount  of      ^^^ 

17  provision  would  furnish  a  liberal    support  for    the    family  of  the 

18  owner.     And  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  such  persons   to  make  out 

19  a  certificate  to  be  signed  by  ail  the   parties,  in    which  the  valua- 

20  tions  herein  provided  for  shall  be  declared,  and  the  property  im- 

21  pressed,    v.hcrc    its    temporary  use    or   hire    only  is    demanded, 

22  described  with  such  minuteness  as  to   identify  it,  and    to  deliver 

23  one  copy  thereof  to  the  owner,  and  one  to  the  impressing  officer. 

1  Si:c.  5.  Where  property  has  been  impressed  for  temporary  use 

2  or  hire,  and  is  lost  or  destrojcd  without  the  default  of  the  owner, 
.3  the  Confederate  States  shall  pay  the  full  value  thereof,  as  ascer- 
4  taiued  under  the  provisions  of  this  act.     If  such  property,  when 

0  returned,  has,  in  the  opinion  of  the  owner,  been  injured  whilst 
()  in  tl»e  public  use,  the  amount  of  damage  thsreby  sustained  shall 

7  be  determined  in  the  manner  prescribed  in  the    fourth  section  of 

8  this  act ;  the  officer  returning  the  property,  being  authorized  to 

9  act  on  behalf  of  the  Confederate  States,  and   upon  such  inquiry, 

10  the  certificate  of  the  value  of  the   property  when  originally  im- 

1 1  pressed,  shall  be  received  as  conclusive  evidence  thereof. 

1  Sec.    6*    Any   officer   of   the  Confederate   States   impressing 

2  property  in  violation  of  the  provisions  of  this  act,  shall  be  liable 

3  to  such  punishment  as  the  military  court  of  the  district  or  depart- 


•1 

4  mcnt  to  which  he  belongs   may  in    its  discretion   inflict,  unless 

5  compliance  with  the  requirements  thereof,  be   prevented  by  the 

6  ovrncr  of  the  property,  or   by  the   public    enemy.     And  in    the 

7  latter  event  the  impressing  officer  shall  be  liable  to  the  penalties 

8  of  this  section,  unless  he  shall  cause    the   property  seized   to  be 
0  appraised  in  the  manner  pointed  out  in  this  act,  as  soon  as  prac- 

10  ticable,  or  if  this  be  impossible,   by  reason  of  the  occupation  of 

1 1  the  enemy,  then  by  an  appraisement  in  the  city,  county  or  parish 

12  most  convenient  to  that  in  which  the  property  was  impressed. 


/ 


Hollinger  Corp. 
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